Insulator assembly



Aug 28, 1951 R. PATTERSON INSULATOR ASSEMBLY Filed May 14, 1947 INVENTOR ROBERT PATTERSON ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 28, 1951 Robert Patterson, Memphis, ,'I"y

one-half to Ralph Reis;l S Luis, Mo'. pkplikcation 1947,

This in'vehiio relates to irriprovo''iiiohi's` ih in-v adapted io siiisiiorfioh aia: in ihe'posiiiohmerii f a body f materiell', sch' as insulation,Y in an opening of a structure.

3 claims; (oLi-L-elf) Ah importa-hi' oioioot of the inventionI is. iobe i olld ln theY Sfnple' and' enomdal formation of a frame strii't'uie frsupporting body of relatively frahgible or easily d'es'tructibl'e material, whereinY the frarfe'is'cornprised of side members, subst2'1nti`al-l'3'1' identical` except' as'Y to length; and cooperating crner shielding elements' which are self-adjustable and movable' relative' to the side members;

Another object is the further improvement in an insulator assembly vof the` above character wherein the sidemembersare adjustably secured in assembly by fastening' elements; and wherein the latter elerner'its"aref= normally held in'xedpositions by the body ofy material to be supported; provision being made'for easily removingportions of the body material in' order to' eileotjar suitable adjustment of the frame and body forv a given size of opening.

Other objects hereofare'to be' found v in; the

form; structure'Y andy adjustable-assembly provisions which-will carry outA the; foregoing objects' in accordance with the following detailedU dei scription of an'exempla'ry embodiment o fthe invention when taken with the accompanying Fig. l is a rearjface view o f the present in# sulator assembly illustratingcei'tainiof its novel features;

Fig. 2 is a frontfaceview` ofjtheassembly;

Fig. 3 is an end' v iew ofr theassembly as seen along line 3--3`of Fig.- 1, and

Fig. 4 is a View similar to' that in Figi 1y but wherein the body material'supported'by the-frame has been reduced insizeto illustratethe adi' justable nature ofthe assembly.

In the views of Figs. 1', 2 and 3 the presentjim-i pr'ovement is seen to comprise anY adjustable frame structure A arranged tov afford supportffoij the marginal portions of a bodyjotma'terial B such as insulationor the'like. In this embodiment, frame A' is' of rectangular form` andfi cludes a pair ofoppos'itely related longitudinal side members Iv and 2, a pair of similarlyr related transverse end membersfZ-I ande, and aI plurality of identical corner shield elements 5. Asfwill presently appear, these frame members andnoorey ner elements are adjustably secured in assembly about the peripheryof the body'Bby'means of identical, threaded 'elements I" having 'nts' ene gtlfllf.`

Frame members I 2 are each of a Channel se fori'ri' having spafedcliannel flange's' and 9 f projecting in parallel' relation to ,receii/Q. Vthe bf y nia ginal portion therebetween. Each oi fis' also 'formedat' its opposite corner th elongate' slots' YII) which are directed o'f th'e members and are ifiregistefring` pairs.A Injlike manner, the embers 3' an'dll are' of' a channel section h Vineispcd hlanifeli ng'es," and. "2 A o ihoiodymarginalpporiion ihorohe'- t'wen; lfll'iese"latter flange'sI'Iand I 2 are formed With registering pairs of corner slots I3 dire'eted substantially length ise of the' members.

Inassemblfy',the d y' ofjmaterial B to be slip-A p'orted is cut top ersize so as to be' slightly longer than side n ieriibersI and 2V andslightly wider than end members Sand 4. The respective iiiem'bers are' `then slipped into` positiohs over the riiorgiii's' ofiho body ao are' brought into `cooperative relation Such'lthat the respective ange's fone'pair.ofinembersas members 3 and 4, over-- lap' theA flanges of the other pair, as members I and?, sufficiently td have the pairs of slotsI3 and' Iilf respectively in registry `and also substantially at right angles'.l For ease of assembly, end members Sand 4" niay have a slightly greater flange spaein'g to receive the members' I and 2, orl the same may b etrue of members I and 2. In effecting this' assembly the' several corner eler'rie'ni's' sore first mariipiilateoiinio positions with their leg portions" slidablyreceived under` the adjacent corner portionslof the respective slide endend members whereby to afford protective shieldsatthe' exposed'- corners of the bodyY Bi Each of these' protective corner elements' isheld in position by the presenceof` the" body B, buit is als'wcapable'of'slidirigvv adjustment in either of two directionsf Y The" threaded s'i'rgelmnts .6 for' thsaS- sembiy are' iris-errori thel registering slots,` In and IBffand' pass thrgh" suitable, close fitting apertures in the body' Nuts I may then be applied to holdv the"V elements'r 6" and hence the ass'er'rroi'y"r ir'ifiiriaicondition for'iiso. As may be 'ss'efnbly is'shown as e the elements'il re "jreme louter ends of th Semelles?. man .originally expad ier. maiingmggsze'. soiihge @weer .may reduce the. r opening desired tob'e closed and insulated by the body B. Thus a graduated series of stock assemblies may be manufactured to care for the normal range of use hereof, the drawing illustrating only one such stock size having the above noted features. Of course, the limit to which any of these assemblies may be reduced will be dictated by the depth of the channel flange and by the corresponding length of slots provided therein.

With reference to the drawing, particularly Fig. 4, the present assembly is readily and easily adjusted to a reduced size in either or both of its length and breadth directions by the simple expedient of cutting out a portion or section of the body material B and slidably compressing the members of the frame about the body as reduced. In many prior constructions this reduction in size required partial or complete disassembly of the frame members in order to be able to cut the body to the required new size. In the present assembly no disassembly is required, but the body may be cut to proper size while fully assembled in the frame members. This improved feature is obtained by providing in the opposed flanges 8 of side members I and 2 notch means I4 which may be located at any point therealong to expose the body periphery. The end members are also formed with notch means I5 in the respective flanges II which are on the same side and cooperate with side flanges 8. These several notches I4 and I5 are preferably located in directly opposed relation for a rectangular assembly to facilitate cutting of the body B to a proper t by the use of a straight edge, square or similar tool laid along the face of the body within the zones of the notches.

In the example of Fig. 4, the body B is shown as having been cut and compressively refitted in its lengthwise direction along the abutting cut line A. The space left after removal of a longitudinal section of the body has been closed by compressing side members I and 2 inwardly and in the direction guided by the securing elements 6 riding in slots I3. This is a relative movement, as elements 6 do not move since each is held in position in the body B. The endwise reduction in size is accomplished by cutting out a transverse section of material from body B. In the present example the transverse cutting is shown prior to retting of the two portions of the body along the spaced edges C and C. Closure of these edges is accomplished by compressing end members 3 and 4 in the direction of slots I0 and relative to securing elements 6. Upon completion of this operation, nuts 1 may be tightened to secure the assembly in its reduced condition.

During the procedure of reducing the size of the assembly, the protective corner elements 5 are slidably compressed beneath the respective side and end members and effectively maintain their shielding positions in both directions.

The present frame assembly may now be seen to embody an improved and highly useful combination of structural features which will fully carry out the objects of the invention. The uses to which this assembly may be put aremany and varied, one possible use being found in connection with the cold Weather insulating of building yfoundation ventilator apertures commonly provided in buildings erected without basement eX- cavations as prevail in the more southern area of the country.

In view of the foregoing, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the exact features i shown, but that all similar or equivalent struc- 4 tures and assemblies be included within the teachings hereof and as are reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An insulator assembly comprising the combination of a body of insulating material of a generally rectilinear conguration, and a supporting frame structure adjustably secured about the periphery of said body and provided with a series of notches arranged in opposed pairs and located at a common face of said body, said notches acting to expose limited peripheral zones of said body to permit the severance and removal of rectilinear sections thereof for altering the original size of said body, said frame structure upon adjustment serving to compress the severed body portions and close the space formed by such removal of body sections.

2. An insulator assembly for use in insulating foundation ventilator apertures, said assembly comprising the combination of a body of insulating material, and an adjustable frame structure for said body including a pair of side members and a pair of end members arranged in spaced rectangular relationship, each of said members being formed to provide spaced, longitudinally extending flanges having a longitudinally directed slot near the opposite ends of each flange arranged in registering pairs, said members being positioned with the flanges thereof supporting the body along the margins thereof and the end portions of one pair lapping adjacent end portions of the other pair to bring the corresponding pairs of slots into registry in substantially right angular relationship, body shield elements slidably mounted in adjacent ends of said pairs of members, releasable Securing elements extending through said body and engaging in said registering slots, said securing elements being retained in fixed relation by said body such that one of said pairs of members, upon relative sliding adjustment thereof, is guided by the securing elements for movement in the direction of the slots provided in the other pair of members, and

said pairs of members providing, in the flanges common to one face of. said body, opposed pairs of notches whereby said body is exposed thereby for the removal of a limited section of body material from between said members to permit sliding of said pairs of members to compress the separated body material and thus close the space resulting from removal of the body sections in adjusting the insulator assembly to the foundation ventilator aperture, said shield elements being slidably displaced by said members during adjustment thereof.

3. In an insulator assembly, the combination of a rectangular frame structure having channelshaped oppositely arranged pairs of side and end members, With the channels in inwardly facing' relations and the channel flanges of said end members partly lapping the channel flanges of said side members in the opposite, adjacent end portions thereof to provide corner openings therebetween, registering pairs of slots in the opposite end portions of said side members, registering pairs of slots in the opposite end portions of said end members, the first said pairs of slots being directed normal to the second said pairs of slots and intersecting therewith at the respectively lapped end portions, a shield element slidably engaging adjacent end portions of said members at each corner opening, a body of insulating material carried by said frame structure and supported along its margins by the channel flanges of said members, said body serving to retain each of said shield elements in position at the corner openings, securing elements extending through said intersecting pairs of slots for holding said members in assembly and serving to constrain one pair of members to movement in the direction of the slots in the other pair of members, said body acting to retain the securing elements in spaced and relatively xed positions during movement of said pairs of members, and notch means provided in a common side flange of each of said members, said notch means being arranged in opposed side and end pairs to expose the body material and permit removal of sectional cuttings whereby the body and frame structure is rendered adjustable for size.

ROBERT PATTERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 767,487 Monroe Aug. 16, 1904 1,984,190 Huine Dec. 11, 1934 

